The transportation of goods by vehicles, such as aircraft, requires protection systems to be installed in the vehicles. Although packaging and shipping requirements often include safety measures intended for safe carriage of goods, additional measures are intended to contain and control effects of a fire if a fire is started.
As an example, aircraft cargo compartments generally include fire protection systems that are able to mitigate many aspects of a fire involving dangerous goods. Some mitigation measures incorporated by operators carrying dangerous goods include systems to discharge fire suppression agents directly into containers after a fire has been recognized, installing a supplemental fire suppression system consisting of a temperature sensing system recognizing an overheat condition in a specific container or pallet that then causes a foam fire suppression agent to be injected into that particular container or pallet, using fire resistant containers and fire containment covers, and incorporating a fire detection system inside a fire hardened container that discharges suppression agent in reaction to the fire.
Some of these measures require that all cargo be loaded into special containers or loaded on pallets with special coverings that are non-industry standard. To accomplish this within some aircraft models, the mitigation measures require that the container height be several inches below a cargo ceiling, which limits a size of the container that can be loaded.
In addition, a production rate of toxic smoke or flammable gases and other byproducts associated with fires involving some dangerous goods can be greater than a capability of some aircraft features designed for mitigating aspects of cargo fires. The potential for excessive smoke production rates from fires has led some aircraft operators to install special systems that inflate transparent bags to displace smoke.
What is needed is a system to enable fire reduction within transportation vehicles while allowing for full cargo transportation with fewer restrictions.